How much prednisone is safe for my dog and how often can it be given?

The side effects you have read about happens when prednisone is taken for more than 4 days, a one time injection will not cause these side effects and it is considered safe to administer a one time dose of steroids.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a great question. Long-term administration of *any* medication will have pros and cons, but in my opinion if the prednisone is keeping Sasha comfortable, she can definitely stay on it long-term. Side effects and concerns associated with prednisone are all dose-dependent, and Sasha's dose of 5mg every other day is an extremely low and safe dose. I would be very comfortable keeping her at this dose long-term, and would not expect any harm to come from it. We have a long list of conditions that are treated with prednisone, and I have many patients who must be on prednisone for life. These patients tend to do great, often on MUCH higher doses than Sasha is receiving. As long as your vet is comfortable with you keeping her on prednisone, go for it! Hope this helps! Feel free to request a consultation if you'd like to discuss Sasha's management in more detail.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry Bruno had hives and other skin irritation. Prednisone can have an effect on the body if given long-term or at high doses; typically, a short course of a steroid can have some short-lived side effects (increase in hunger/urination, eating/drinking more), but tends to be otherwise well-tolerated. While any medication can have an adverse effect (and if you are seeing any concerning signs I would reach out to your regular veterinarian immediately), low doses of appropriately dispensed steroids should be processed fine unless there is another underlying medical condition. Again, if you are concerned or if Bruno is showing signs of being ill, I would have him evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

It’s safe to use the prednisone with the dexamethasone shot, they are in the same class of steroids. I would wait more like 5-7 days between the last prednisone and the Rimadyl. Longer if Toby is prone to stomach upset or diarrhea. When used closely together, these two classes of medications can cause bleeding stomach ulcers.

The answer to your question really depends on when the injection was given, what type of steroid it was, what dose of steroid was given and what his Prednisone regimen has been, so your vet will need to answer that question. If your vet is already closed for the day, it will likely be safer to skip his Prednisone dose tonight and call them first thing in the morning to discuss when to resume his Prednisone. Some steroid injections only last for 12 hours, but some last for much longer, so you do not want Chester to have too high of a steroid dose tonight. Hopefully you can talk to them tonight to figure out the best thing to do. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. In general, there is no reason that prednisone can't be given with Cosequin DS. As long as the prednisone was prescribed by your veterinarian and you're giving it according to his/her instructions, this should be fine. :)

Yes, many dogs with IBS are treated long-term with daily prednisone. We normally try to wean them down to the lowest dose that is still effective at controlling their symptoms to help minimize side effects, but this is a very common treatment strategy for this disease.